With the TICKET Act’s passage in the U.S. House, several music industry organizations have released full statements in support of the action. Now the law must pass through the Senate.
Several music industry organizations released statements about the passage of the TICKET Act. Some of those statements praise the move, but also call attention to carve outs that may weaken the law as it is written. Here’s a peek at where many industry bodies stand on the passage.
National Independent Venue Association (NIVA)
“The speculative ticketing ban in the TICKET Act is an important step toward restoring trust in the ticketing market,” begins Stephen Parker, Executive Director of NIVA. “Artists, independent venues, and promoters fought tirelessly over the last two years to secure this critical protection. Any ticketing law must truly ban speculative tickets without exception.”
“Unfortunately the inclusion of a ‘concierge service’ carve-out, as written in the TICKET Act, would undermine the speculative ticket ban. Concierge services should not be a loophole for companies like Vivid Seats to claim they are offering a service while selling ‘tickets’ they don’t possess to unsuspecting fans. States across the country have proven that strong, loophole-free ticketing consumer protections work, and Congress should build on that momentum.”
“The White House Executive Order on Combating Unfair Practices in the Live Entertainment Market also made clear that deceptive practices must be fixed, not re-branded. We urge Congress to amend language to make certain that ‘concierge services’ do not empower multi-billion dollar resale platforms over consumers.”
“Further, we support strengthening the law with enhanced penalties and enforcement authority for state attorneys general to deter bad actors and help ensure the law is being followed. Illegal bot use runs rampant in the ticketing industry because the FTC has only brought one enforcement action since the use of bots was banned in 2016. We hope Congress does not miss the opportunity to ensure these laws are actually enforced in the future.”
“We look forward to working with the Senate to ensure that fans, venues, and artists are prioritized in the final version of the TICKET Act.”
National Independent Talent Organization (NITO)
“The TICKET Act that just passed the house does not do nearly enough to protect fans and consumers against bad actors,” NITO said in a joint statement of members. “Vivid Seats spec ticket ‘seat saver’ program is still 100% legal. All-in pricing without itemization means fans won’t know the price the artist sets. Bots will continue to run rampant without stronger enforcement mechanisms.”
“NITO urges the Senate to strengthen this bill prior to passage and we will continue to advocate for stronger protections for our community.”
Recording Academy
“Today’s passage of the TICKET Act by the House of Representatives marks a significant step forward toward improving the concert ticket marketplace,” shares Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy. “The TICKET Act was a key focus of Grammys on the Hill and the Recording Academy thanks our Congressional leaders for bringing the bill to a vote shortly after meeting with Academy members. We now urge the Senate to act quickly to incorporate the strong provisions contained in the Fans First Act and move a comprehensive ticket reform package that will provide transparency and protect artists and their fans.”
Live Nation
“We’re grateful to Reps. Gus Bilirakis, Jan Schakowsky, Chairman Brett Guthrie and Ranking Member Pallone for re-introducing the TICKET Act, which includes an all-in pricing mandate and bans speculative ticketing—a deceptive scheme that targets concert-going fans. Live Nation has long advocated for such reforms, and we’re hopeful Congress could soon pass these important changes into law to make the concert industry better for fans and artists.”
The Coalition for Ticket Fairness (CTF)
“The Coalition for Ticket Fairness (CTF) applauds the House on the passage of the TICKET Act,” says the organization’s statement. “Introduced by Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce Chair Gus Bilirakis and Ranking Member Jan Schakowsky, the TICKET Act represents common sense reforms that will bring much needed transparency into the ticket buying process and give consumers more information as they make purchasing decisions. By empowering consumers, this bill will help lead to a better ticket buying experience and a healthier marketplace.”
Fix the Tix Coalition
“The Fix the Tix Coalition, representing every major constituency of the music and live events industry, applauds the passage of the TICKET Act, as an important step towards restoring trust in the ticketing ecosystem,” the statement reads. “The bill provides transparency with all-in pricing, and takes important steps to combat speculative tickets and deceptive websites.”
“The live entertainment ecosystem is counting on Congress to act in the best interests of fans to restore transparency and trust to our country’s broken ticketing system.”
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